Isabelle O. Minor, 97, Baltimore County teacher

July 04, 2005

Isabelle O. Minor, a retired teacher and reading specialist in Baltimore County, died of natural causes Saturday at her daughter's home in Somerset, N.J. The Cockeysville resident was 97.

Isabelle Ossenmacher was born in Dearborn, Mich., and moved to Maryland in the early 1920s to attend St. Joseph Academy and St. Joseph College in Emmitsburg. After graduating in 1931, she worked as head dietitian at St. Joseph Hospital.

After receiving a degree from the Johns Hopkins University in 1958, she became a teacher and reading specialist in Baltimore County and worked at Woodmore Elementary and Featherbed Lane Elementary. When she retired in 1977, she was awarded a Certificate of Distinguished Citizenship by Gov. Marvin Mandel.

Mrs. Minor was an avid traveler and had been to 28 countries. England was her favorite, according to her daughter Katherine Kennedy of Baltimore, who added that Mrs. Minor could list all the English royal houses and loved the works of Shakespeare.

Mrs. Minor was an honorary member of the Associate Board of the Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg and served on the board of the Retired Teachers Association of Baltimore County.

She also was an active member of Delta Kappa Gamma, the Maryland Retired Teachers Association, Senior Alumni Association of Johns Hopkins University and Women Educators of Baltimore County.

Mrs. Minor was married in 1936 to Robert Vernon Minor, who worked in the wholesale meat business. He died in 1967.

A funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, 101 Church Lane in Cockeysville.

In addition to her daughter, she is survived by another daughter, Maury Barkley of Somerset; several grandchildren; and three great-grandsons.